


5 Times Daisuke Played With Ken's Hair +1 Time Ken Cut It

by Okikage



Category: Digimon - All Media Types, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Genre: Angst, Arguing, Christmas Shopping, Double Entendre, First Kiss, Flirting, Football | Soccer, Hair, Haircuts, Heartbeats, Hot Springs & Onsen, Jogress Bonds, M/M, Mentions of Therapy, Obliviousness, Odaiba Day, Pining, Play Fighting, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Self-Hatred, Social Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:07:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24249265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Okikage/pseuds/Okikage
Summary: Daisuke loves playing with Ken's hair and it causes Feelings
Relationships: Ichijouji Ken/Motomiya Daisuke | Davis Motomiya
Comments: 6
Kudos: 46
Collections: Daiken 5+1 Challenge, Daiken Discord Server





	5 Times Daisuke Played With Ken's Hair +1 Time Ken Cut It

1.

Ken watched from his post a little way down the pitch as Daisuke lost control of the ball, giving it up to one of Ken’s teammates. That was not looking good.

He quickly got into gear, keeping watch of where the rest of Daisuke’s team was as he got into a good passing position.

The ball passed between Ken’s team, and Daisuke crowded up against Ken himself. Ken ducked to barely beat Daisuke to the ball, forcing him to crash down, rolling a couple times, but Ken was sure he was okay since he could hear some faint laughter.

Finally, Ken found the opening. He surreptitiously signaled to his teammate and crushed a power shot into the net.

His team went wild, shouting and screaming with joy as their second score just under the wire solidified victory, but Ken excused himself, running over to Daisuke.

“You alright?”

“Totally fine! You were awesome, that shot must have been so fast!”

Ken blushed. His hair fell in front of his face, obscuring some of Daisuke. “Good job today too. Though you might want to work on your ball handling.”

“You’re the expert on that. Want to help me practice  _ ball handling _ ?” Daisuke’s hand brushed his hair behind his ear, and he twirled some of the ends around his fingers. Ken’s breath hitched. Daisuke wasn’t removing his fingers, he kept swirling the messed up ends around and between them.

“Gotta get back to my team, I’ll see you later.” Ken took a step back and away from Daisuke and his weirdly grabby hands.

2.

Ken gingerly folded himself onto the picnic blanket, placing the tin of Mama’s homemade cookies next to the rest of the Chosen’s offerings. He spotted Hikari and gave a little wave.

“Good to see you, Ken-kun.” Hikari jogged over.

“You too. Any specific plans for today?”

Hikari shook her head. “Daisuke-kun was gushing about you earlier. I think he misses you.”

How could Daisuke  _ miss _ him? They saw each other almost every day. Daisuke would come to his house after school, and now during summer vacation he stayed over more often than not.

And yet, Hikari was right. Daisuke ran up and enveloped Ken in a hug, his arms wrapping around Ken’s shoulders and face burying carefully next to but not touching the back of his neck.

“Ken! I missed you!”

“Hello, Daisuke.” Ken smiled uncontrollably. Daisuke’s excited patter from whatever sport he had been playing with Taichi reverberated through him, Daisuke’s hands sliding from shoulders up to tangle in his hair. It felt so good, Daisuke’s blunt, rough nails scratching his scalp, and Ken let his eyes shut and leaned against the warm chest behind him.

“Yay! Food time!” Agumon ran over and almost barreled the two of them over, followed by the rest of the Chosen and their partners. The way Daisuke flowed from behind to next to Ken, all without removing his hand from his hair, was preoccupying.

Ken nibbled on the various offerings from the other Chosen, skipping Mimi’s dish with a polite, “Oh I’m so full, I couldn’t,” even as he also felt Daisuke call him out internally on being  _ full _ . He would rather starve than eat  _ that _ and Daisuke knew it.

Daisuke hadn’t taken his hand out of Ken’s hair. He had moved to just the ends, leaning against Ken’s side and twirling it just above Ken’s shoulders. It felt nice, and maybe too much. What was with his hair?

After lunch, Taichi roped Koushiro and Jou into playing some game, while Sora and Mimi took Yamato, Takeru and Iori on a walk.

Which left Hikari and Miyako opposite Ken and Daisuke, and the conversation, as it always did, moved to Jogress.

“I remember our first Jogress.” Miyako covered Hikari’s hand. “It was the first time I really  _ got _ you.”

“You heard Hikari-chan’s thoughts?” Daisuke asked from his spot dangerously draped over Ken.

Miyako huffed and puffed out her cheeks. “Not in...so many words like that.”

“I didn’t...literally know what Miyako-chan was thinking, of course.” Hikari tucked her hair behind her ear. “But I felt like I understood her.”

“No, we  _ literally _ felt each other’s souls.”

“I think that’s going a  _ bit _ far, Daisuke.” Ken couldn’t deny how important, how all-encompassing it felt, but it wasn’t  _ literal _ .

“Well, can you explain what it’s like? For you?”

“I’ll never forget what it felt like, Daisuke’s heart overlapping mine.” Ken tried to explain, tried to put into words for the other Chosen something he and Daisuke had been trying and failing to express for six years.

“I feel it all the time now,” Daisuke’s voice pitched low as he covered Ken’s heart. His face was so close, too close. His hand was buried in his hair.

Ken had to leave right now.

“I’m going to get a drink.” Ken scooted away from Daisuke and his open smile, smothering arms. He got an iced coffee and some Mountain Dew for Daisuke at the nearest vending machine, thankfully far enough away for Ken to calm down but close enough he wouldn’t be gone a socially unacceptable amount of time.

He came back to Miyako telling her own story of their childhood.

“And you know, it was a lot of pressure! I had to live up to everything you guys had already done. I went just a little bit psycho.” She knocked her own head gently.

“Yeah,  _ a little _ .” Daisuke laughed, nodding at Ken as he took the offered soda.

“How did you even manage to climb a Dark Tower?” Hikari was also laughing.

Shit. Ken steeled himself for a conversation about. Then.

“Sheer will and determination.”

Ken sat beside Daisuke and concentrated on opening his drink.

Hikari was tittering at whatever Miyako was continuing to say. She was punching the air, acting out her high-octane adventure from when the others were trying to stop  _ him _ . To get into his absurd floating base and stop him - stop the darkness swallowing him, opening up the ground, stop him from committing atrocities -

“You know.” Daisuke broke into his spiral. “Our Jogress wasn’t the first time I felt Ken’s soul.”

“Oh yeah. That thing you said on the bridge? I don’t really remember.”

Ken hugged his knees to his chest. Daisuke talking about  _ feeling his soul _ made him fidgety and blush profusely.

“Ken’s soul - his real soul - was trapped in that digimental, after all.”

Ken shot Daisuke a glare, the two of them having a private argument with their faces that they’d had for too many years now.

Daisuke was convinced, utterly convinced, that Ken not only was already forgiven but  _ didn’t have to be _ because it wasn’t  _ his fault _ . He shoveled all the blame onto Vamdemon as he possessed Oikawa, the Dark Seed, anything to absolve Ken, and it wasn’t  _ right _ .

Ken could move forward and keep trying to do better, but he didn’t deserve forgiveness and he was never going to forgive himself.

He had this argument with both Daisuke and his therapist too much.

Daisuke stroked his hair too gently and the world started tilting.

“I feel unwell suddenly. I think I’ll have to go home early, give everyone else my apologies?” Ken ran away.

3.

Ken had absolutely no idea how he had gotten here.

Okay, he knew Daisuke had convinced him to head down to the beach for the day. He lived right next to it, after all. But that didn’t explain  _ how _ Daisuke had done it.

Ken sat on the beach towel Daisuke had laid out for him, trying not to squirm in his never-used swim trunks and inappropriate polo.

“Want to go swimming?” Daisuke stood over him, casting a shadow that seemed worse than it should be.

Ken gulped. “Do I have to?”

“I mean...no.” The disappointed frown on Daisuke’s face was all Ken needed to change his mind.

“I suppose I could try.”

Daisuke held Ken’s hand like he was a little kid, incapable of taking care of himself, and maybe he was because as the ocean loomed closer and closer Ken clung to that hand like a lifeline.

The water was cold and Ken hissed and jumped away from it as it lapped at his feet.

“It’s really not that bad once you get in. You get used to it.”

“That’s what people say about alcohol too.”

Daisuke’s laugh kept Ken focused. He took a step into the water and managed to not flinch. After the initial shock, it was actually kind of nice to feel something cool that contrasted with the hot, muggy weather that made his hair flat and lifeless.

Daisuke led him further in, the water coming up to his knees, and Ken stood still, the wet sand beneath pulling his feet under.

“This is fine.”

“Okay.” Daisuke didn’t push and Ken let out a huff of relief. “We can have some fun here.”

And a splash of water hit Ken’s chest, sending shivers up his spine.

“ _ Daisuke _ !”

“C’mon, I’ll give you a free hit.” Daisuke spread his arms wide, presenting his whole front.

Ken bent toward the water and tried not to look at how cloudy it was, he couldn’t even see his feet, anything could be under there and pull him down - he wrenched his eyes up to Daisuke’s chest, and that wasn’t much better.

Daisuke’s sun-kissed skin glowed. He had obviously gotten a bit of a tan since summer started, and looked good in it. Ken could feel his face heating up and he knocked some water towards Daisuke, quickly straightening up and grimacing.

“Damn, Ichijouji, have we finally found something you suck at?” Daisuke laughed at him. “ _ This _ is how it’s done.”

Daisuke sent a ludicrously big splash towards Ken and he threw up in his hands, despite that doing nothing to stop the assault. White hot rage cut through his mind and Ken sent back a much stronger volley.

Ken got into the splashing battle, his heart speeding up as he followed Daisuke, laughing and getting into the competition. Daisuke’s laughter was infectious, still pretty high despite his voice drop, music to Ken’s ears. He thrashed in the water, trying to hit Daisuke and give back as much as he took.

Ken realized the ocean was up to his shoulders and he started thrashing in a very different way.

There was too much water, he couldn’t see, where was the beach, why was the air so heavy -

He fell to his knees on the sand, gasping for air, Daisuke’s hand rubbing up and down his back.

“It’s okay, I’m here, you’re okay,” Daisuke babbled on above him.

Ken straightened his back, looking at Daisuke on one knee next to him. “Sorry.”

“I shoulda been paying more attention. I know how...the ocean is.”

“Let’s go back in.”

Daisuke started, his eyes going comically wide. “What?”

“I want to get back in the water. Can you...teach me how to float?”

Ken probably shouldn’t be doing this without a Plan from his therapist about exposure steps. He was definitely skipping a few. But Daisuke was next to him, ready to catch him, Daisuke’s hands tipped him back into the water until he was staring up at the sky, held up by steady hands on his back and combing through his hair and his heart was racing for a different reason, or maybe he could convince himself fear was excitement as long as Daisuke was there.

4.

Ken hesitated in front of the locker, yukata still wrapped around him. Takeru had removed his and was hanging it up in his own locker, sending him a Look.

“See you in the baths?”

“Yes, I’ll just be a second.” Ken watched as Takeru strolled into the bath area with his towel slung over his shoulder, not a care in the world.

Daisuke and Iori had already gone in too. It was just Ken left in the locker room.

Daisuke was on the other side of that door, naked. He shouldn’t be thinking nasty thoughts. Onsen was totally normal, and not sexual, and Ken shouldn’t be thinking about Daisuke’s chest dripping with condensation, his hair laying slightly deflated, and how Ken could see everything -

Daisuke poked his head in. “Ken? You gonna join us soon?”

“Ah, yes, I’ll be right there.” Ken stripped and used his towel use a wrap, stepping into the bath area.

“Great! Takeru went to the mineral bath to join Iori, want me to wait for you to rinse off?”

The steam from the room could explain Ken’s massive blush. Surely.

“That’s alright, I know where it is, I’ll meet you there.”

He rinsed off slower than usual, taking his time with shampooing his hair, letting the water drip down from the ends onto his shoulders. That task done, there was nothing else to do but join his friends in the bath and try desperately not to have anything embarrassing happen with Daisuke right there.

Ken stepped up to the elevated bath they’d chosen, bubbling with added minerals that were supposed to enhance health. He left his last cover on the side of the bath and sank into the heat, relaxing with a quiet moan.

“Nice, isn’t it?” Daisuke sidled up close to Ken.

“Very nice.” Ken managed to strangle out, as Daisuke trailed fingers up his arm.

“I’m glad you’re comfortable.”

Daisuke seemed to have completely forgotten that Takeru and Iori were also there, totally focused on Ken. He couldn’t complain. Daisuke’s hand reached Ken’s shoulder and tangled in his wet hair.

Everything was too much, but in a dreamy, vaguely unreal way instead of stark jagged edges of consciousness. Daisuke kept twirling his fingers through Ken’s hair, separating clumps that had formed from the water, sending slight tingles through Ken’s scalp.

“I want to get in the natural bath outside.” Takeru’s voice shot through Ken.

What the fuck was he doing? What was  _ Daisuke _ doing?

“I’ll join you. Will you two be staying here for a little longer?” Iori glared at Ken like he always did, and he felt a flush of humiliation adding to the pile of emotions Daisuke was bringing to the surface.

“Yeah, see you.”

And just like that, Ken was alone with Daisuke, who had gone back to playing with his hair.

It felt so good. Ken wanted to cry. It wasn’t  _ right _ .

He didn’t stop it.

5.

The Christmas light displays at Odaiba Seaside Park’s shopping district were particularly brilliant this year. Ken found himself staring at the large fir trees, covered in twinkling blue-white lights, as he followed Daisuke to each store.

“Who do you have left on your list?” Ken asked as Daisuke perused a line of fancy tea leaves.

“Jun, of course.” Daisuke put a finger to his puckered lips. “Think she’d like this tea?”

“Does Jun-san even drink tea?”

“It’s her latest obsession. She keeps going on and on about floral shit and I have  _ no idea _ what she’s saying.”

Ken scrutinized the large selection of teas. If she liked floral flavors, they were in the wrong section.

“Over here.” Ken took Daisuke by the elbow and led him to the other side of the counter. “She might like anything from here, to here.” He traced a square out of the display.

“You think? Do  _ you _ drink tea?” Daisuke picked up a random tin from the area Ken had pointed out without even looking at it.

“Ah, yes. Though I prefer these kinds.” He pointed over at the herbal teas.

“Cool! I’ll just pay for this real quick, you can wait outside.”

Ken stepped outside the cramped tea shop and slumped against a pillar. He waited, and waited, and wondered what was taking Daisuke so long. He considered going back in after over ten minutes had gone by when Daisuke appeared, holding a bag that looked too big for one tin of tea.

“Sorry, sorry, didn’t mean to take so long!”

“Did you...pick out more tea for Jun-san?”

Daisuke blushed. “Ah, and some other people, you know. Gotta get that shopping done.”

They continued down the aisles, Ken on the lookout for something good for his mother. He stopped to check out some nice cashmere scarves, but they were a bit out of his price range. The feel along his fingers was amazing.

“You like these scarves?” Daisuke slid next to him, so close Ken could feel his body heat.

“I’m looking for something for Mama.” Ken let the scarf drop back down, debating whether to try folding it up again or if that would just make more work for the clerk watching him intently.

“Ooh, yeah, she’d like them.”

“They’re a little expensive.”

“Wanna get one together? For her?”

Ken quirked an eyebrow. “You want to buy a present for Mama?”

“Well, it’s not like she hasn’t  _ earned _ it.” Daisuke ruffled his hair sheepishly. “I basically live with you guys half the time.”

“You don’t have to do that. Mama loves you.”

Daisuke shrugged. “That’s why I want to.”

Ken stared at the scarf. It was very nice, and exactly his mother’s color. She would probably cry with joy upon hearing it was from both him  _ and _ Daisuke, too.

“Okay. We’ll get it together.”

Ken relaxed considerably after his shopping was done, able to just focus on watching Daisuke as he flitted from shop to shop, getting more and more bogged down with bags as they continued.

“So what are you doing Christmas Eve?” Daisuke adjusted a bag back onto his shoulder as it threatened to fall to the crook of his elbow.

“I don’t have specific plans yet.”

“Really? No hot date?”

Ken blushed and looked to the side, finding the floor suddenly fascinating. “No.”

Daisuke’s hand found his hair again, pressing against his skull. He thumbed at Ken’s bangs, tucking them behind his ear. Ken’s blush only grew.

“We could do something?”

Ken tamped down hyperventilating. Daisuke didn’t mean it like that. “Like a friend Christmas Eve?”

Daisuke skipped a beat. “Yeah. Yeah, friend Christmas.”

Daisuke’s hand was still in his hair. He smoothed down the tuck of Ken’s bangs he’d made, and Ken had to  _ leave _ .

“Okay. Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”

+1.

Ken tried to run his fingers through his hair again, only to be met by empty space. His head felt lighter, not only physically which was expected, but mentally.

Things flowed easier. It wasn’t just because exams were over, a weight he’d been carrying for eight years was lifted, Ken floated to the spot he was going to meet Daisuke, ready to show off his new short haircut.

Ready to not be filled with confusing feelings as Daisuke touched hair that wasn’t there anymore.

He spotted Daisuke, running along the road below the elevated bridge he stood on, and waved with a broad grin. Daisuke, however, faltered. His sunny smile cracked and then Daisuke was out of his line of sight, climbing the steps tucked beneath the bridge.

Daisuke popped out of the stairs and sprinted at Ken, stopping with a glare.

“What the hell did you do to your hair?”

Ken wanted to duck his head, let his overly-long bangs hide his suddenly red face, but he couldn’t. So he frowned and jutted his chin out.

“I cut it.”

“ _ Whyyyyy _ ?” Daisuke whined.

Ken’s eye twitched. “Because I wanted to?”

“But  _ why _ ? I liked your hair!”

“...You don’t get to dictate my hairstyle,” Ken huffed, hands twitching through the short strands just above his neck.

He didn’t like how his throat constricted, how his heart felt like it was being squeezed unpleasantly instead of nicely. How Daisuke looked so upset about his  _ hair _ .

“Well, am I not allowed an  _ opinion _ either?” Daisuke spat out.

“No, actually.”

“I have one anyway! I hate it!”

Ken choked. His chest felt even worse, like someone had stabbed him right in the sternum.

“I don’t care.  _ I _ like it.” Ken didn’t have to deal with Daisuke “liking” his hair, making him blush and stammer and wonder about something that was never going to happen.

“What am I supposed to play with?”

“You could try  _ nothing _ !”

Daisuke recoiled with wide eyes. “You don’t like it? But I thought, maybe...”

Ken liked it. That was the problem. He liked it when Daisuke carded his fingers gently through Ken’s hair, like he was precious and worth something, like Daisuke  _ loved _ him.

“Of course I...” Ken trailed off, clenching his fists.

“Shit, I’m sorry, I thought - fuck, you must think I’m a  _ creep _ , I’m sorry.” Daisuke curled in on himself, covering his mouth with one hand.

Ken didn’t understand this conversational turn. “What do you mean?”

“I’m really sorry. I’ve been hitting on you for months and I thought you liked it, you were just being your usual shy self? But you  _ don’t _ and I’m sorry.”

The bridge rippled under Ken, and he stumbled. “You’ve been - what?”

“It’s so  _ obvious _ in retrospect you were uncomfortable.” Daisuke leant against the railing and hid his face from Ken.

It wasn’t all in his head? Daisuke wasn’t just being overly friendly? Ken grabbed Daisuke’s shoulder.

“You’ve been...flirting with me?”

“I’m sorry. You didn’t cut it because of me, did you? I would have stopped if you’d  _ asked _ .”

“Daisuke.” Ken curved into his face. “Do you like me?”

Daisuke quirked an eyebrow. “Uh, duh?”

Ken’s heart sped up as his cheeks heated. He gulped and stared into Daisuke’s frowning face.

“I cut my hair because I didn’t want you playing with it anymore.”

Daisuke opened his mouth and Ken intercepted, placing a single finger on his lips.

“I thought you were just being friendly.”

Daisuke straightened his back and Ken continued.

“I like you. And I couldn’t handle the  _ affection _ because I thought you didn’t.”

Daisuke stared at Ken for several seconds before bursting into hysterical laughter.

“How obvious was I supposed to  _ be _ ? You didn’t  _ know _ ?”

Ken tucked at his bangs. They were really too short to get a good grip now.

“I didn’t.”

“I asked you out for  _ Christmas Eve _ !” Daisuke’s shout attracted the attention of several passer-by and Ken ducked his head, no curtain obscuring him from their looks.

He didn’t have to hide. If he repeated it enough, it would be true. Instead of shying away, Ken stepped closer into Daisuke’s space, grabbing the back of his head.

“We can discuss how much of an idiot I am later. Can I kiss you now?”

“Right here?”

“Yes.”

“...Okay.” Daisuke tilted his head up and pecked Ken on the lips.

The tingles that spread from Ken’s face to the rest of his body pulsed along with his heartbeat. He knew, somehow, it was the same pattern inside of Daisuke’s own chest.

They broke apart, and Ken endured the glares of the strangers walking along the bridge, judging them for existing in public like this.

“Let’s talk more at my place?” Daisuke held out his hand for Ken, who took it and felt Daisuke’s warmth.

“Let’s.”


End file.
